Every day, we at the Mackinac Center hear from Michigan
residents who care deeply about this state and are gravely concerned about its
future.

In the last issue of IMPACT, I shared with you
a few of the many encouraging comments we have received from Michigan residents
who believe in free markets, personal liberty and limited government.

The Mackinac Center has excellent resources on
these issues, but many people in Michigan who would enjoy our work are
unfamiliar with us. To best help Michigan, the Mackinac Center needs to connect
with these folks in their hometowns.

With this in mind, the Mackinac Center has
been reaching out to Michigan communities.

Let me share a few examples. The Mackinac
Center has met twice yearly with leaders in seven regions to share the latest
impact of our work. The members of these Boards of Advisors are from Grand
Rapids, Traverse City, Holland/Zeeland, Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Battle
Creek/Kalamazoo and the mid-Michigan area. In response to these leaders'
suggestions earlier this year, we invited them to bring their friends and
colleagues to our October meetings. Through such gatherings, we will build
strong ties with many more like-
minded people.

To bring the Mackinac Center to Metro Detroit,
we are holding An Evening with the Mackinac Center in Birmingham on Oct. 14 — less than a week away as of this writing. The event will feature Oakland County
Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who will speak on "What Michigan's Next Governor
Can Learn From Oakland County." It should be a dynamite topic from a dynamic
chief executive, and we expect more than 230 people to attend!

The building excitement over this event is due
to individuals like Dulce Fuller (see "Passion and Mettle"): freedom fighters who are
passionate about introducing their friends and neighbors to the Mackinac
Center.

But we need to reach out to many more folks in
Michigan who believe in the same principles we do.

Would you
help us connect with like-minded people in your hometown? If so, call me at
(989) 631-0900, or e-mail me at white@mackinac.org. Let's make freedom ring!